Speakers October 29-30, 2012 Zach McAuley, UAB Admissions Counselor Types of College 1.) Vocational Technical (Vo Tech) and career college a. Do not take core classes; offers specialized training (ex: ITT Tech, Reid State Tech. School) b. Only take classes in field of study c. Examples: culinary arts, cosmetology, firefighting 2.) Community College a. Most common type of 2 year degree (Associate s Degree) ; open, non-selective enrollment b. Prepares you to continue getting an education, enter the workforce immediately, or transfer to a 4-year university c. Ex: Jeff State, Lawson State, Wallace State, Bevill State) 3.) 4-yr Universities or Colleges: Public and private a. Public-funded by local and state governments ex: Alabama, Auburn, UAB (17 in AL); charge lower tuition for in-state residents; larger enrollment; somewhat selective enrollment i. UAB: larger classes w/small labs early; major: 15-25; student:teacher ratio 18:1; b. Private-mainly rely on tuition and fees and private sources of funding ex: Birmingham Southern, Samford, Miles (17 in AL) Admission Requirements 1.) Strong High School Academic curriculum a. Take at least 5 solid academic courses every semester b. Start with basics and move on to advanced courses 2.) Hold a certain GPA and standardized test score (ACT/SAT) Need to take: 4 years of English, 3 years Math (Algebra and Geometry +), 3 years science w/lab component, 3 years social studies, Foreign Language (need at least one year for most colleges UAB; some selective colleges require 2 years) Colleges look at the first 3 years (Freshman-Junior). Senior year still important; maintain grades to retain admission and/or scholarships. Know the schools admission requirements by your junior year; each school will have their own ACT/SAT requirements for admission (UAB minimum 20 ACT; 950 SAT-Critical Reading and Math) Scholarships available based on ACT/SAT scores (most decisions made by Dec.) It is very important to get involved and build relationships For selective schools, also need extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation from teachers and/or counselors Freshmen to do list: 1.) Meet with counselor to discuss college plans 2.) Start looking at college websites to find out required courses and tests for colleges 3.) Get involved with extracurricular activities 4.) Go to college fairs in your area (BJCC each September) 5.) Go visit different schools to get familiar with them
Sheri Salmon, Vice President of Enrollment Management Birmingham Southern College There is a best fit school for you it is up to you to find that school 1.) Visit schools most important. You should get a feeling (good or bad). Junior year best. 2.) Visit online first 3.) Request information (brochures) Universities are made up of colleges. BSC is a liberal arts college. Average class size is 17-18 students; average ACT at BSC is 26.5 (superscore) For admissions, smaller schools look at more than your GPA: 1.) Transcript (includes GPA) 2.) ACT/SAT 3.) Essay-your opportunity to make a good impression 4.) Letters of Recommendations 5.) Resume (includes extracurricular) BSC gives extra quality points for Honors and AP classes (weighted transcript). Some colleges only look at Core classes when determining GPA. Be sure to beat deadlines. Some colleges use the Common Application (complete one and send to all schools). WARNING: Be careful with your Facebook page. College admission Officers DO look at that when making decisions regarding admission. Also, be sure to have a professional sounding email address. Use one email address for all college correspondence. Freshman year is the foundation of your academic success (GPA); you build upon that the next 3 years. Division III schools do NOT offer athletic scholarships. Character, integrity, and decision-making choices that you make reflect your character.
Additional College Visits Notes 2012 Birmingham Southern University of Alabama Birmingham Costs more (tuition) Private No money from state Tuition, endowment Fewer students per class Fewer students on campus Limited to a certain school (example: BSC is a liberal arts college) Public Majority of students come from the area the school is in Out of state students could pay triple what instate students pay Larger classes Multiple areas of study (offer a wider range of schools/majors Numerous clubs and organizations Requirements: These are basic requirements that any college will look at before making their decision: 1. Application 2. Standardized tests (ACT and/or SAT)-Take during Spring of Junior Year 3. High school transcripts (includes GPA) 4. Strength of curriculum 5. Resume 6. Answers to essay questions 7. Application fee Important Information: GPA Keep up your GPA NOW! Colleges look at your GPA from 9 th grade through 11 th grade. It will be too late to worry about your GPA your junior year. Think about what courses you are going to take in high school. Choose the courses that are best for you. Begin looking at college admission requirements and make sure you are not only completing High School graduation requirements but college admission requirements as well. Keep the 4.0 you had when you started your 9 th grade year. How will you challenge yourself? Make sure you take all the required standardized tests the colleges require. Some colleges require just 1, some require 2. YOU must find out which tests the college of your choice requires. The ACT is the only test that is accepted by all 4 schools nationwide If you struggle with standardized tests, take prep classes to help you do better on those tests. Begin taking the standardized tests early your junior year. Last test will be in June and they are not offered during the summer. Other Information: When filling out an application, give colleges as much information about you as you think is important. Be TRUTHFUL and HONEST Spend time crafting your answers.
o Get parents, guardians, teachers, counselors, etc. to check your application and essay answers before sending it in. UAB student to teacher ratio is 18:1. Researching Schools: 1. College Fairs 2. Admissions representative on your high school campus 3. College counselor in guidance office (Mr. Prater/Ms. Upton) 4. Visit the campus 5. Visit their Web sites 6. Fastweb.com (colleges & scholarship search) 7. Collegeboard.com (college search) Campus Tours/Visitation Days: 1. Try to visit most of not all of your top 5-6 choices 2. Attend preview days they hold for sophomores/juniors in spring and seniors in the fall 3. Talk to current students 4. Avoid visiting when students are not on campus 5. Ask if you can sit in on a class Things to ask: 1. What is your average ACT/SAT and GPA? 2. Do you require both ACT and SAT? 3. Do you recalculate GPAs? 4. How do you judge my ACT/SAT score? 5. What is the average class size? 6. What is the student/teacher ratio? 7. What is the application deadline? 8. Is there a separate application for scholarships? 9. Do freshmen have to live on campus? 10. What is your school known for? The entrance and scholarship requirements for Auburn, Alabama and UAB are: Alabama: average freshman student has a 3.4 GPA and 24 average ACT. Admission requirements are 3.0 GPA and 21 ACT. Auburn: average freshman student has a 3.5 GPA and 27 ACT. UAB: generally admits students with a minimum ACT score of 20 or SAT score of 950 (critical reading/math) and a minimum GPA of 2.25. Samford: minimum requirement is 21 on ACT and 3.0 GPA.